Queensland’s labour hire licensing scheme has achieved a significant number of successful prosecutions since its commencement. To date, there have been 27 prosecutions for offences against the Labour Hire Licensing Act 2017 (LHL Act) with fines imposed by the courts totalling $1.92 million.
The LHLCU recently attended a multi-agency Phoenix taskforce (taskforce) meeting focused on addressing non-compliant behaviour within a labour hire syndicate operating in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland—predominantly in the security, hospitality and cleaning industries.
The LHLCU is planning field operations in Lockyer Valley, Moreton Bay, Southern Downs and Far North Queensland (FNQ) in the 2025-26 financial year.
The Labour Hire Licensing Compliance Unit (LHLCU) joined an Australian Border Force (ABF) led field operation in North Queensland focusing on the horticultural industry in Dimbulah, Mareeba and Innisfail.
Misclassifying a worker as an independent contractor instead of an employee, also known as sham contracting, has been identified as a compliance risk for disability support services, particularly for in-home care services.
Read about the Fair Work Ombudsman’s role in supporting workers and businesses in the disability services sector, including guidance on pay rates, workplace rights, and employer obligations to ensure compliance within labour hire supply chains.
Licensed labour hire providers that do not comply with their obligations may have their licence cancelled or suspended.
Our second edition includes articles about licensing and compliance actions, a spotlight on the disability support sector, joint operations with the Australian Border Force, upcoming field visits in North Queensland, guidance on sham contracting, and recent prosecutions under the labour hire licensing scheme.